Violett Hemlock
Violett is a young smuggler and innkeeper who was born, raised, and currently lives in Steinenfeld. She runs and lives in the Gooseberry Inn in the Port Side district with her mother, Vera, and her sickly brother, Claus. They are known for their Gooseberry ale, a secret recipe created by Violett's father, Ansel. Violette is better known to the more illicit residents of Steinenfeld as the poisonous plant "Hemlock", a nickname given to the young smuggler which she eventually just took on as her "surname". Biography Childhood Violett was born in a small house in the Port Side district. Her father worked various jobs as a clerk or barkeep while her mother worked as a seamstress until together they made enough money to buy and move into the Gooseberry Inn when Violett was 6 years old. Violett's father, Ansel, taught her how to read, write, and do bookkeeping for the inn, hoping that she would take over the family business when she grew up. 2 years later her younger brother Claus was born several months premature. As Claus grew he became very weak, getting sick often and for long periods of time. Almost all of the family's money then went to bettering Claus's health, and so the inn fell into tremendous debt. Runner for the City Guard In an effort to help her family's financial situation, Violett took up a job as a runner for the City Guard at age 12. She gained significant knowledge about the city and the Guard and their inner workings during her time as a runner. She also found that she could make a little extra cash by dipping into the pockets of the more inattentive city residents on the streets. Father's Death When she was 15, Violett's father died after he was struck by a fever likely brought on from the stress of the family's finances. Because of this she left her job as a runner, telling the guard it was to take over the inn in her fathers wake. She actually turned to picking pockets on a more full time scale, telling her mother that she was still running for the guard. Pick Pocket Using the knowledge and speed she gained during her time as a runner, Violett made good money as a pick pocket. She was able to keep this a secret from her mother by handling all the accounting for the Inn and making it look like the inn was taking in more money than it actually was, while she was just making the same amount as she had been as a runner. One day when she was 19 she attempted to pick the pocket of the notorious smuggler Harvey "Snitch", but was caught in the act. Impressed by the young girl's stealth and speed as she had tried to escape from him, he hired her as one of his smuggling lackeys. Smuggler Violett did good work as a smuggler, and she worked her way up until at age 23 she became head of her own smuggler's ring. She earned a reputation among those she worked with as quick, clean, and dependable. She never breaks deals as it would be bad for business and those working for her are loyal because she treats and pays them fairly. She still forges the accounts for the inn and tells her mother and brother that she is working for the guard. Because of her smuggling her family has gained significant wealth and the inn is no longer in debt, and she is currently looking into moving her mother and brother into a home in either the Grain or Silver districts. Relationships Vera Violett's mother. She helps run the inn and works as a seamstress. She is worrisome and frets over both her children constantly, especially Claus. She is often stressed and tired, but never fails to be welcoming and a good host. She is oblivious to Violett's illicit engagements. Claus Claus is the younger brother of Violett. He is 16 years old, constantly sick, and often bedridden. Reading being one of the only activities he can often do, he snorts up books like cocaine, and has Violett bring him the news everyday. He has started to catch on that his sister might be sacrificing more than she says she is for the family. He feels a tremendous amount of guilt for the burden he has placed on his family, and feels personally responsible for his father's death. Rutger Violett's cousin. Violett and Rutger's fathers were brothers, and both were proud and honest businessmen. As such, Violett's uncle's masonry business has started to fail but he refuses to change his business method, convinced that his way is the only way. To makeup for his fathers stubbornness, Rutger approached Violett about her financial turn around, and she showed him the illegal underside of the city. He now works as a bruiser, making enough money to help his father's business, telling him that he works at the docks unloading crates. Circles Smuggler's Ring (+3) Bruiser Gang (+2) City Guard (+2) Innfolk Beliefs * All coin is good coin * Structured Anarchy (Each should live by their own code) * Driven by love (Family, Friends....Romance??) Instincts * Always signs name with left hand * Speaks softly when around children * Alway looks for escape route from a situation Fun Canadian Fun Facts * Since Violett is ambidextrous, she can steal things with both hands. * The nickname "Hemlock" came about when a local drug lord and a lackey dealt some opium pods to a couple of sailors who had stopped in the Port Side district. One of the sailors asked where the drug lord got his stuff from, and he replied "From a girl as sweet as a field of violets, lad."laughing at his own dumb joke. The lackey then snorted and mumbled "a girl sweet as a field of hemlock." * Her guilty pleasure is poorly written romance novels. * She is allergic to dogs. Category:PCs